I have become interested in building a power boat, specifically, the
Glen-L Wee Hunk Pacific Dory (16') as a general purpose run around the
bay, up the river boat. My son thinks I can buy a boat for less than I
can build. My general estimates are as follows:

Motor (new) $4000
Other $1000
Trailer $1200

Total for building: $6200

He believes I can buy a used similar boat for less and he may be right.
Any perspective on this?

As far as initial cash outlay, he's absolutely right. How does it go?
"Rich men build boats for poor men to sail." If you scout around a while
and haggle you can be afloat for an order of magnitude less. Not only is
the boat and motor cheaper, but all that little stuff you didn't add in will
probably be included: PFDs, cushions, anchors and rodes, mooring lines,
spare parts, trailer, boat cover, etc.

BUT:

1) building is a pleasurable activity in its own right.

2) if you built it, you can fix it.

3) the cash outlay takes place over years.

4) you have an excuse to buy tools.

5) no one else will have a boat that's exactly like yours.

Roger

http://home.earthlink.net/~derbyrm
wrote in message
ups.com...

I have become interested in building a power boat, specifically, the
Glen-L Wee Hunk Pacific Dory (16') as a general purpose run around the
bay, up the river boat. My son thinks I can buy a boat for less than I
can build. My general estimates are as follows:

Motor (new) $4000
Other $1000
Trailer $1200

Total for building: $6200

He believes I can buy a used similar boat for less and he may be right.
Any perspective on this?

A boat in that size range is small enough where I think your son is right.
As boats get larger and more complex, and if you ignore the value of TIME,
then you can begin to save significant dollars. Consider any seaworthy 22'
to 28' offshore power boat for example. Offshore power-anything starts at
around $40k without motors, and goes up from there. Your 16' boat may or
may not be cheaper if you do it yourself, but a lot of that answer depends
on what you compare to. If you do an A-class job on it and buy all new
equipment and motor(s), then compare to a brand new equivalently outfitted
boat that is built in a competitive fashion, then you might be break-even or
even come up slightly short. If you compare to a superior construction
method, like comparing your wood boat to an all-weather well-built aluminum
boat, then you'll save lots of money. But that's not a fair comparison. In
a like manner, it's not fair to drive down the road and spot a late '60s
worn out runabout with rotten transom for $500 (including the trailer and
leaky ol' Johnson) and go away thinking that building your own is way too
expensive. Your homebuilt boat will be brand new, while the other one is
NOT. And many (some might say most) commercial boats are going to be built
to standards lower than yours and won't have the longevity that your
carefully built boat will have. And how do you place value on having the
boat outfitted exactly as you'd have it rather than forcing you (the square
peg) into a commercially built boat's configuration (the round hole)?

Brian D



wrote in message
ups.com...
I have become interested in building a power boat, specifically, the
Glen-L Wee Hunk Pacific Dory (16') as a general purpose run around the
bay, up the river boat. My son thinks I can buy a boat for less than I
can build. My general estimates are as follows:

Motor (new) $4000
Other $1000
Trailer $1200

Total for building: $6200

He believes I can buy a used similar boat for less and he may be right.
Any perspective on this?

There is only one rational reason to build a boat from scratch and that is
because you want to want to. Money is not a good reason. You can save 5 to
40% depending on the size and features by building your own but inveriably
you can buy a fixer upper and fix it up for a lot less.

I'm building because:
I wanted something unique that fit my needs exactly.
I wanted it paid for when it went into the water.
I wanted a hand crafted interior.
I wanted a lot of expensive features.
I wanted to save 10-15%
But mostly, I enjoy it.

Pick any 3 and it may be worth it.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

wrote in message
ups.com...
I have become interested in building a power boat, specifically, the
Glen-L Wee Hunk Pacific Dory (16') as a general purpose run around the
bay, up the river boat. My son thinks I can buy a boat for less than I
can build. My general estimates are as follows:

Motor (new) $4000
Other $1000
Trailer $1200

Total for building: $6200

He believes I can buy a used similar boat for less and he may be right.
Any perspective on this?

I would buy a new 50 hp Yamaha 4 cycle vs an older motor. How would
you rate reliability of a new engine vs one a few years old?

On 19 Apr 2005 08:38:03 -0700, wrote:

I have become interested in building a power boat, specifically, the
Glen-L Wee Hunk Pacific Dory (16') as a general purpose run around the
bay, up the river boat. My son thinks I can buy a boat for less than I
can build. My general estimates are as follows:

Motor (new) $4000
Other $1000
Trailer $1200

Total for building: $6200

He believes I can buy a used similar boat for less and he may be right.
Any perspective on this?

There is one indisputably good reason to build your own: There is
nothing else you would rather be doing, even including boating. Saving
money is a rationalization, but not likely a reason.



Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a

"Religious wisdom is to wisdom as military music is to music."

For me, the savings was the difference between having and *NOT* having.
None of the older tubs that I have seen have appropriate capability for the
halibut and tuna fishing that we do here in Oregon, not without spending too
darn many $$$ because boats that *can* do the job don't depreciate much and
they are hardly ever on the market. See http://www.reelboats.com . I did
see a divorce sale Arima 22' Sea Legend w/hardtop that I would've loved to
own ...$33k, including motors and trailer ...an absolute steal! But, I saw
it after I was 30% into my building project. Oh well ...those rare good
finds do happen, just not often. My 22' boat project will cost somewhere
between $21k and $28k ready-to-rock (pardon the pun), depending on final
choice of motors and electronics.

Brian D

PS: We're a debt-free pay-as-you-go family ...big payments for lotsa years
is not an option. Something that can be paid off in 12 months would be
however (or own rule). Boat building boats larger than a skiff allows both
the pay-as-you-go paradigm and also saves you money.



"Rodney Myrvaagnes" wrote in message
...
On 19 Apr 2005 08:38:03 -0700, wrote:

I have become interested in building a power boat, specifically, the
Glen-L Wee Hunk Pacific Dory (16') as a general purpose run around the
bay, up the river boat. My son thinks I can buy a boat for less than I
can build. My general estimates are as follows:

Motor (new) $4000
Other $1000
Trailer $1200

Total for building: $6200

He believes I can buy a used similar boat for less and he may be right.
Any perspective on this?

There is one indisputably good reason to build your own: There is
nothing else you would rather be doing, even including boating. Saving
money is a rationalization, but not likely a reason.



Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a

"Religious wisdom is to wisdom as military music is to music."

On Tue, 19 Apr 2005 16:23:51 -0700, "Brian D"
wrote:


a like manner, it's not fair to drive down the road and spot a late '60s
worn out runabout with rotten transom for $500 (including the trailer and
leaky ol' Johnson) and go away thinking that building your own is way too
expensive. Your homebuilt boat will be brand new, while the other one is
NOT. And many (some might say most) commercial boats are going to be built
to standards lower than yours and won't have the longevity that your
carefully built boat will have. And how do you place value on having the
boat outfitted exactly as you'd have it rather than forcing you (the square
peg) into a commercially built boat's configuration (the round hole)?

Brian D

Funny you should say that. I happen to have a mid 60's "runabout" that
had a rotten transom when I got it with a Johnson motor and trailer
and I paid $500 for it. I have gotten 4 years of solid use out of it.

But it is a 41 year old fiberglass boat that is showing it's age. All
the original wood has long rotted out and it flexes while underway and
has this thing it does sometimes where it just goes right for no
reason very violently when I hit a wake wrong.

So I need another one. One that costs less than $500 and that is safe.
I don't have money to spend on a fancy new jon boat at Outdoor World.
So I have read and read about building boats. I designed me a new
boat. One with a hull design that if I am right will allow it to be
stable and plane well enough to where there is almost no boat in the
water on plane. I build a cardboard model and am going to fiberglass
it soon as I get a chance and see if it works well in my pool. I have
a cousin who has an old RC outboard I can use for testing.

If that goes well then I plan to use 1/4 inch plywood and fiberglass
it inside and out. I figure that if I use the accessories from my old
boat and my old motor I can get my boat built for around $200. I know
that it won't last forever if I use regular plywood, but if I can get
5 seasons out of it I feel I will have reached my goal. Maybe by then
I will be able to afford a store bought boat.

And my new one will be bigger too.
Old one = 49 inch wide, 14ft long "V" front
New one = 60 inches wide, 15ft long. flat front

That way I can take more than one person fishing with me.




wrote in message
oups.com...
I have become interested in building a power boat, specifically, the
Glen-L Wee Hunk Pacific Dory (16') as a general purpose run around the
bay, up the river boat. My son thinks I can buy a boat for less than I
can build. My general estimates are as follows:

Motor (new) $4000
Other $1000
Trailer $1200

Total for building: $6200

He believes I can buy a used similar boat for less and he may be right.
Any perspective on this?

I have nearly done with the Glen-L Vee Dory at 23 feet. No question
that I have saved money, not if you count labor. The trouble is you
won't save that much. Just the same most boat builders will tell you
they liked doing it.

As for the Hunky Dory, from what I have seen of the plan they make it
harder than it has to be. Check out
http://www.geocities.com/learnedsboats/

If you look through the pictures notice the way he does the stringers
and bottom connection, no battens running longwise up the bottom.
Glen-L has extra battens on a lot of their boats and they add extra
work and expense. Learned's boats last a long time, too.

Learned doesn't sell plans that I know of, but I'd look around for an
easier plan than Glen-L's. Just the same Glen-L makes good plans, it's
just some things aren't worth doing sometimes.

On 19 Apr 2005 08:38:03 -0700, wrote:

I have become interested in building a power boat, specifically, the
Glen-L Wee Hunk Pacific Dory (16') as a general purpose run around the
bay, up the river boat. My son thinks I can buy a boat for less than I
can build. My general estimates are as follows:

Motor (new) $4000
Other $1000
Trailer $1200

Total for building: $6200

He believes I can buy a used similar boat for less and he may be right.
Any perspective on this?

Learned is a nice guy too. His boats are built for duty. That said though,
I'd personally never go ply-on-frame because it's a work and time
multiplier. Been there and done that, but not again. I'd build a
stitch-n-tape Tolman skiff instead, assuming you wanted capability similar
to the Oregon Dories that Learned builds. In fact, the Tolman is a *more*
capable V-bottom boat that is a quicker and easier build than a traditional
Oregon Dory. It's got a long strong reputation in Alaska and is being used
all over the world. See:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tolmanskiff (Yahoo builder's group, lots of
pictures and good advice)
http://fishyfish.com/tolmanskiff.html (Lots of links and pictures)

Brian D



wrote in message
...
I have nearly done with the Glen-L Vee Dory at 23 feet. No question
that I have saved money, not if you count labor. The trouble is you
won't save that much. Just the same most boat builders will tell you
they liked doing it.

As for the Hunky Dory, from what I have seen of the plan they make it
harder than it has to be. Check out
http://www.geocities.com/learnedsboats/

If you look through the pictures notice the way he does the stringers
and bottom connection, no battens running longwise up the bottom.
Glen-L has extra battens on a lot of their boats and they add extra
work and expense. Learned's boats last a long time, too.

Learned doesn't sell plans that I know of, but I'd look around for an
easier plan than Glen-L's. Just the same Glen-L makes good plans, it's
just some things aren't worth doing sometimes.

On 19 Apr 2005 08:38:03 -0700, wrote:

I have become interested in building a power boat, specifically, the
Glen-L Wee Hunk Pacific Dory (16') as a general purpose run around the
bay, up the river boat. My son thinks I can buy a boat for less than I
can build. My general estimates are as follows:

Motor (new) $4000
Other $1000
Trailer $1200

Total for building: $6200

He believes I can buy a used similar boat for less and he may be right.
Any perspective on this?